To the Caribbean and Back
by Miss Sofie
Summary: COMPLETE! Natasha accidentally goes back in time and meets the unusual Captain Jack Sparrow. Though not too fond him at first, Natasha comes to appreciate him when he helps her get back to 2004. No marysue.


It was a very hot and sunny afternoon in the month of July, and Natasha walked the shopping streets of London looking for nothing in particular. Her friends were not available today and so she tried to make time pass by shopping for clothes. So far she had only managed to find (and this was only a start for her) one pair of jeans, a tube top, and a mini skirt. The last two things she was already wearing, since the weather had turned out to be much warmer than she had thought it would be when leaving home the same morning.

She stopped at a kiosk to buy an ice cream, but as she took the first lick of it she wished she had chosen a beverage instead. The sun felt like burning her head under her brown curls, and the headache she had had for quite a while started to make her feel dizzy.

She started walking again not aware of the fact that she had stepped out right in front of a car. The car passed her narrowly and the man behind the wheel shouted at her angrily. Then he and the car had gone. Natasha stepped back onto the pavement putting a hand to her forehead. She felt feverish. She'd better get home.

"Are you alright?" The man in the kiosk asked as he saw her somewhat pale face.

"I'm fine. Thanks." Natasha said and left with her plastic bags and handbag. It would be so good to get home and get a large glass of icy water. 

She passed through the park on her way to the underground railway station and stepped away from the path to watch the ducks in the lake for a while. When she turned back to walk on, she noticed something in the air before her. It was almost invisible, but a lot of different colors kind of floated around in the air before her.

"Come on, it's just your dizzy head making up things." She said out loud hoping no one had heard her. Nevertheless, she couldn't resist reaching out her hand to try to touch the colorful air, and as she did so, everything went black.

Natasha woke up sitting on the ground leaning her back against a tree. The ice cream was still in her hand, though almost melted.

She looked around to see who had helped her to the tree, but she was astonished to see that nothing was the same as before she passed out or whatever happened to her.

The lake had gone and so had the path. There were more trees than before, and suddenly Natasha realized that this wasn't the same place as the one she had passed out in. This wasn't the park. Or maybe someone had just carried her further into the forest, though she had hardly thought of the trees being a forest. But why would anyone do that?

She got up wanting to find her way back to the path, but it wasn't the path she found after all. Or…at least it was a different path. It was more like a gravel road. She was positive that there were no gravel roads in the park, and suddenly she froze, letting go of the ice cream. This whole situation reminded her unpleasantly much of a horror movie she had watched the night before.

"Wake up, Nat!" She said to herself pinching her arm. She didn't wake up, though. It was not a dream

Well, she could as well begin walking down the gravel road while calling someone who could come to pick her up. She took out her cell phone and dialed her parents' number. She couldn't get through, though. The line was dead. Though it was still very hot, probably even hotter than before she passed out, she felt cold. She suddenly wished she hadn't changed to the mini skirt and small top, but her plastic bags had gone and all she had was her handbag.

She kept walking for a while, believing that she would reach either the park fence or something else civilian if she just kept on walking. 

She did find the civilization again, however not the kind of civilization she had hoped for. She stopped to wonder about the palms that suddenly grew in the center of London, before she stepped into what had to be the settings for a 17th century colonist movie or something. People dressed in a very old fashioned style and soldiers like ones she had often seen in movies, walked the streets, but she could not find the film crew or a single camera anywhere. People stared at her, and she stared back. This was amazing. Even without cameras on them, they kept up their parts.

"Excuse me!" She stopped a middle aged woman in the street. "Can you please tell me…"

The woman shook her head angrily and left as quickly as possible. Very rude, Natasha thought and walked on. Someone here would be able to help her, she just had to find someone less unfriendly that the woman before.

"Excuse me?" She said to a man dressed like a soldier, who had a hard time hiding his glaring at her.

Immediately he looked away with a mumble. "I'm warning you, miss…"

Now what was that all about? Were they mad at her for stepping into the set of their movie? But they weren't shooting, and she was lost. All she wanted was a little help to get out of here. She could hardly do that if they kept turning away from her.

"'Ello there, luv!" Someone addressed Natasha, and she almost let out a shriek when facing the man in front of her. He just grinned revealing three golden teeth and a very bad breath. Like someone who had been drinking the night before.

Natasha stepped backwards, astonished by how well he played his part, obviously of a pirate. His hair was long and black with several dread locks and braids, and in the braids were several colorful beads. He was wearing a scarlet scarf around his head, and his once white shirt was open halfway to the black leather pants it was stuck into. Though Natasha knew he was only an actor, she didn't like the fact that he had a sword close to his side. She looked rather frightened from the sword to his eyes, which were framed by thick, black lines. Was it coal?

"Hello." Natasha said trying to avoid his gaze. He was looking intently at her, obviously enjoying what he saw. What a pervert, she thought, still avoiding his eyes.

"A tad shy, are ye not?" The man said with a smirk. Natasha definitely didn't like him.

She decided to ignore his remark.

"Could you please tell me how I get out of here?" She asked daring to look him in the eyes again.

"Easy. The same way ye got 'ere." The man replied moving his gaze from Natasha's eyes and further down her body. Yuck! He had to be the most disgusting personality she had ever met!

"Thank you very much." She said sarcastically and walked on. That wasn't the answer she had hoped for.

A couple of men dressed in red soldier's coats hurried down the street towards her. Now what? Was she disturbing their filming?

"Miss, you're under arrest." One of them said as they reached her, pointing his musket at her.

"Alright, what's going on here?" Natasha asked unable to stay serious. She let out a chuckle, which obviously displeased the other man, the tallest of them.

"Miss, I warn you. If you don't cooperate…"

Natasha didn't hear the rest, as someone grabbed her hand and practically flung her over his shoulder. It was the pirate-look-alike from before.

"Let me down!" She screamed struggling to get out of his firm grip. She was seriously frightened now. It wasn't funny anymore.

Someone shouted behind them, but Natasha couldn't hear the words. The man who carried her sped down some rocks and out into the water. The soldier-look-alikes were right behind.

Natasha hammered her fist into the man's back trying to get free of him, but he kept holding on.

"For Pete's sake, stop knocking holes in my back!" The man said throwing her into the water. "Cooperate a little, will ya?!"

Natasha sat in the water looking terrified at the man before her. He wanted her to actually cooperate in his kidnapping her?

"Help!" She yelled looking behind. The two soldiers were approaching, though they didn't move quite as swiftly in the water as the freaky man had done.

"That won't help ye!" the man said rather annoyed and took a firm grip of Natasha's wrist. "Have ye got no sense at all? Women!" He shook his head and started dragging her up and further into the water.

"But I can't swim!" Natasha cried trying to step backwards. It was impossible. The man was stronger than her and she didn't exactly feel at home in the water.

The man sighed and rolled his eyes. 

"Just hold on, then." He said and to her own surprise Natasha did as he said. At this moment the fear of drowning was bigger than the fear of being kidnapped.

After a while she realized where they were heading. A big ship, somewhat piracy, was anchored not far from there, and that was where the man was taking her. She looked back and saw the two soldiers giving up. Their big coats were dragging them down, so they turned around to go back to the shore.

When Natasha and the man reached the ship, a rope was thrown down to each of them. The man took one and handed the other one to Natasha. He started climbing up, but Natasha didn't. She had absolutely no clue how to climb the side of a ship only by using a rope. A ladder, perhaps, but a rope?

"Come on!" The man shouted irritated, when looking at Natasha who was still in the water, only staying on the surface by holding on to the rope.

"But I don't know how!" She shouted back. She was about to panic.

The man mumbled something inaudible and shot her a fierce look. Then he climbed down again.

"How the 'ell do ye take care of yerself in yer profession?" He hissed as he reached her and grabbed her around the waist.

In her profession?

Somehow he managed to get her aboard the ship without further cursing and without Natasha struggling to get free. She would, after all, only fall into the deep water, if she did get free of his embrace.

Embrace? Oh, no. She had watched too many love movies. This guy was NOT the tall, dark, handsome stranger who came to her rescue like they always did in the movies. He was a pirate! Or at least an actor very dedicated to his part.

"Where am I?" Natasha demanded on the edge of crying. She was soaked and cold, and all the men on the ship stared rudely at her. A few laughed.

"Welcome to the Black Pearl, luv!" Her kidnapper said a smile decorating his face. Once again his golden teeth were revealed.

"The Black Pearl?" 

"Aye! The Black Pearl. The Pride of the Caribbean sea. The Pride of the World!" The smile on the man's face widened as he seemed to drift into another world.

Someone coughed slightly, returning him to the present.

He sent the man next to him a rather cold glare before speaking again.

"Anyway, as long as ye're on me ship, ye'll address me as Captain Sparrow, savvy?"

He commanded more than asked Natasha.

"Savvy?" She asked, but he missed the fact that it was a question.

"Good. Now, tell us where ye're from, if ye please. Obviously not from Port Royal. Women such as yerself in Port Royal have sense enough to dress properly…ahem…at least almost properly when walking the streets."

While talking he put a coat on Natasha's shoulders, covering what her own clothes revealed, to the great disappointment of almost all the crew of his ship.

"Where I come from this is a perfectly normal way to dress." Natasha replied with a disgusted look at the men behind Captain Sparrow. "You're the one to dress weirdly."

"Ah, but we're pirates, luv." Captain Sparrow replied. "We dress like we want to."

"Yeah, right!" Natasha chuckled. "Pirates, huh? So tell me where we are and which year it is!" She said sarcastically. He was kind of funny, though. He seemed to believe his own words.

"Right outside Port Royal, luv." He said with a frown.

Port Royal? She had a slight feeling that it was somewhere in the Caribbean, but she wasn't sure.

Anyway, this man was clearly disturbed, as were his crew members.

"Well, but would you be so kind as to drop me off when we get back to London." Natasha said growing tired of this game. She wanted to go home, and her head was aching worse than when she had bought that ice cream earlier.

Everyone but Natasha laughed. 

"Clearly, ye have had too much rum." Captain Sparrow said with an amused smile and put his arm around her shoulder. She shook it off, but he replaced it.

"Come with ol' Jack to lie down for a while. Ye must need it."

Yuck! What a pervert! There was no way she was going to lie down with him! That sick, old bastard!

She shook his arm off of her shoulder again and took a few step backwards.

"Anamaria!" Jack called with a sigh. "Would ye? Please? For me?" He pleaded, and Natasha noticed how his eyes had suddenly turned all puppy-like when addressing a woman that she had not yet seen.

"Aye." A female voice said and a pirate with very feminine features made her way through the rest of the crew. She was, indeed, a female pirate.

"Come with me." Anamaria said in a voice that Natasha felt more like trusting than Jack's. She followed Anamaria to a small cabin, in which the latter handed her some clothes for her to wear.

"What's ye name?" She asked after a couple of minutes' silence.

"Natasha." Natasha replied trying to tie the strings of the leather pants that Anamaria told her to put on.

"Let me do that." She said a little less friendly that Natasha would've liked. She took the strings from Natasha's hands and tied them together so the pants wouldn't fall down. 

Anamaria's clothes was a little too big for Natasha, but she didn't care. She didn't really care about clothes at all. She just wanted to go home. To get out of this strange, strange place.

"Now, I think ye'd better go see the Captain." Anamaria said a little friendlier. "He would like to know more about ye."

Natasha shuddered at the thought. She really didn't want to see that man again. Especially not alone.

"He's really not that bad." Anamaria comforted. "He's a good man. There's no need to be afraid of him."

Natasha wasn't so sure, but she was afraid what would happen if she didn't go to see him, so in the end she followed Anamaria to a much larger cabin. Obviously the Captain's cabin.

"Jack?" She said loudly to let him know they were there. "She's ready!"  
"How many times do I have to tell ye? It's Captain Jack. CAPTAIN!" Jack sighed from a corner. He was looking through the port hole, when they entered, but now he turned to look at them.

Anamaria smiled and left.

"Ah, much better." Jack smiled with a twinkle in his eye. "Though I must admit I enjoyed the sight when ye walked down the street of Port Royal!"

He chuckled at his own remark, or maybe at the picture in his head. It was too much for Natasha.

"Would you stop that?!" Natasha said annoyed. At once she was aware of the fact that she was much smaller and much weaker than him. She'd have to watch her tongue. There was no need to make him mad at her.

Jack looked stunned for a split second, then he spoke.

"Alright. I just figured lasses like yeself didn't mind that kind of language."

Natasha waited for a while to see if he would break into a grin, but he didn't.

"What do you mean by 'lasses like me'?" She finally asked. She wasn't sure, but she was beginning to have a slight feeling of what he was referring to.

"Ye know…" He said. Natasha noticed his eyes flickering. She hadn't seen them doing that before. "Women in yer prefession."

Her profession? Wait a minute! Did he think she was a….?

"You think I'm a whore?!" Natasha yelled angrily.

"Now _you_ put it that way!" Jack said pointing a finger at her.

"I'm NOT a prostitute!" Natasha said turning around to leave.

Before she got the chance, though, Jack had blocked the door with his quite….masculine body.

Oh no! No way she was gonna think of him like that!

"Not so fast, luv!" Jack said looking intensely at her.

"Let me out!" She demanded.

"We're not quite done yet!" He said enjoying this little fight with her. He had always liked women who didn't obey him just like that.

"Don't you dare touch me!" Natasha said coldly backing away from him.

The expression on Jack's face changed from amused to shocked in a split second.

"Ye think I would actually want to harm ye? No, I would never do that." He said seriously with a rather sad look at Natasha. 

The latter looked away somewhat ashamed. She _had_ thought he was the kind of man who would force women to please him. 

"And ye're free to go as soon as ye've told me yer name." He added still looking grave.

"Natasha." She said and walked towards the door resolutely.

"Ah… Tash!" Jack said with a grin and opened the door for her. "A pleasure to meet ye!" He said with a bow and another smile.

"Can't say the feeling's mutual." Natasha replied and left as quickly as possible.

~

Natasha woke up with a feeling that she had just had the weirdest dream ever. A ship full of pirates in the middle of the Caribbean? She had to stop watching so many movies. It wasn't healthy.

She opened her eyes to realize that it had been no dream. Though it was still black outside, she could clearly see that she was still aboard the Black Pearl. The ship billowed slightly, and she knew she'd be unable to fall asleep again. The only reason why she had gone to sleep in the first place at all was the fact that Ana Maria had made her drink some rum to calm her down. She had been afraid to go to sleep, but the rum had made her relax and in the end the gentle rocking of the ship on the waves had pulled her into deep sleep. 

She felt wide awake now, though.

She got up and put on her new, pink sandals, which didn't exactly match her new pirate's outfit, but they were all she had. They had matched her mini skirt and top perfectly, but she couldn't really wear that now. People thought she was a prostitute! She hadn't exactly been too fond of finding out, but now she thought it was rather funny. To her own surprise she actually felt better now that she had got some sleep.

She opened the door quietly trying not to wake Ana Maria from her sleep. She was sleeping on the floor, and Natasha thought it a rather nice gesture of her to let her borrow her plank bed.

When out in the open upon the deck she realized that the nights were chiller than she would have thought. She should have brought a blanket, but she didn't wanna go back and risk waking Ana Maria again, so she'd just have to feel cold.

She was alone on the deck. Somewhere the voices of drunken pirates were heard, but most of them had probably fallen asleep already. She put her elbows on the rail and supported her head in her hands. Once again she thought of what kind of freaky nightmare she had landed in, though right now it wasn't so much a nightmare as a beautiful dream. The sea was silent and the stars were watching over her. If only she knew she would get back home she wouldn't mind staying here for a couple of days. But she didn't. She didn't know if she'd ever get back. She didn't know how she got here in the first place. Caribbean in the 17th century! It was in sane, but she began to believe it to be true, after all.

"Ain't this just the best feelin' in the world?" A male voice broke the silent and Natasha started.

"I mean, there's nothing better than standing on yer ship on a starry night like this, inhaling the fresh air and knowing that ye're free, is there?" Jack carried on.

Natasha chose to believe that he was not dangerous.

"I wouldn't know." She muttered looking at the black water.

"But ye're free. Ye're not a prisoner, if that's what ye think."

"But you kidnapped me! I hardly think that's what people would call 'free'!"

"Kidnapped?!" Jack exclaimed offended. "I rescued ye from jail. Those soldiers weren't gonna give you clothes and help ye get home, I tell ye!"

"Are you? Gonna help me get home?"

Jack sighed. 

"If London's yer home, then no. We're not exactly on our way to London!"

Natasha didn't reply. 

"So, now that ye know ye're free… Same question as before!" He sounded less serious than just a moment ago.

Natasha turned to look at him.

"I wouldn't know." She replied pretending to be serious. "It's not my ship!"

Jack looked surprised at her for a moment, then his face turned into a big smile!

"Indeed it's not." He said with a chuckle. 

Natasha couldn't help but giving a smile as well, and for a while she actually enjoyed his company.

"Captain?" She asked looking at the water again. "What year is this?"

"Oh, so the little missy can't keep track of time?" Jack joked.

"I'm serious. What year is it?"

"Ye seriously don't know, do ye?" He said, still with an amused smile on his face.

"No, do you?" Natasha said trying to hide her own amused smile.

"Of course." Jack replied taking his eyes off of her. He didn't seem so amused anymore.

"Then what year is it? I admit I don't know it, so why don't you tell me?" Natasha said unable to stay serious. It was fun to watch him struggle with his pride.

"Eh…I…uh…"

"You don't know, do you?" She teased and he refused to look at her.

"No." He finally admitted ashamedly.

"But if I say it's 2004, then what would you say?"

"Ye're crazy!" Jack spluttered in amusement. "Seriously, ye had too much rum last night!"

"I feared so." Natasha said quietly. So it was true. She was stuck in a bad pirate story in the Caribbean in the middle of…probably the 17th century. And it was not just a bad dream. It was real.

Suddenly tears filled her eyes and she looked away. She didn't want Jack to see her crying, but she could hardly avoid it as he was always very observant.

"Eh…" Was all Jack said. He had no idea how to deal with a crying woman, especially not this one.

"Would ye…would ye like some rum?" He tried. That would definitely have done the trick for himself. Though he did, of course, never cry!

Natasha shook her head. She wished he would go away. Not because she didn't like his company, but because she was embarrassed. He was a hardcore pirate, for Christ's sake. She wasn't supposed to be crying in front of him. She turned her face to look at the stars, trying to force back the tears. She suddenly felt something warm and comfortable on her shoulders. It was Jack's coat.

"Thanks." She said and gave a vague smile.

"Ye're welcome. As long as ye don't tell anyone." Jack replied not feeling well. Women! Why did they have to be so soft? Weeping women always made him feel bad.

"I won't." Natasha promised with a chuckle. Oh, so the fearsome pirate captain was afraid his crew would find out he was a softie? 

Maybe Captain Jack Sparrow didn't know how to handle a weeping woman, but he just stopped Natasha from crying, purposefully or not.

Jack looked startled for a moment.

"She stopped?" He said more to himself than to Natasha. "She stopped!" He stated smugly flipping his head a bit, looking at her with new interest.

"Yeah, she stopped." Natasha agreed with a little smile. He was, without a doubt, the strangest person ever.

"Not afraid of ol' Jack anymore, are ye?" 

"No, I'm not afraid of you." She replied with a shy smile, still a bit embarrassed of showing her weakness like that just a moment ago.

"Then why don't ye tell me what 'appened? Why does a lass from London suddenly walk into Port Royal dressed like…eh…ye know…like _that_?"

"You wouldn't believe me."

"Try me!" He said flashing a smile at her again revealing his three golden teeth. He flipped his head again, and this time Natasha noticed the beads in his hair twinkle in the moonlight.

"Eh…okay…" She said trying to focus on what he had just asked her. "What did you say again?"

"Too fond of me hair, are ye?" He teased making Natasha blush. She was glad it was still dark so he wouldn't see it.

"I told you to stop doing that, didn't I?!" She replied rather harshly. 

"Sorry." Jack said suppressing a chuckle. He wasn't used to damsels who couldn't take this kind of talk. The fact that it made her blush amused him. Anamaria would've just said something back or just ignored it. It would never have made her feel uncomfortable. Though very self confident no matter what, he still liked finding out which impact he had on young lasses like this one. Honestly, he had thought he was getting too old for that.

"Do you wanna hear this or not?" Natasha asked after a while of watching Jack struggle to suppress his laughter.

Jack coughed slightly.

"Of course, luv." 

"And stop calling me that!"

"Who's the captain of this ship? Ye or me?"

"You, so you ought to know how to address a lady!"

"Ah, but ye ought to know how to dress like a lady, if ye want to be addressed like one!"

"If you'd let me explain, you'd know that where I come from ladies do dress like that!" Natasha replied crossing her arms. 

"Sorry." Jack said managing not to reveal how amusing he found this conversation.

"Alright. I passed out in a park in London in 2004 and woke up here. Today. That's where I come from and that's what happened."

Jack couldn't hold back his laughter anymore. Not because it was a funny story, 'cause it was not, but because she seemed to believe it.

"Did ye hit yer head on something?"

"I told you, you wouldn't believe it!"

"I believe that you believe it." He said in between laughs.

"It's the truth! Why else would I be dressed like that? And why else would I have brought a cell phone here?"

"A cell what?" Jack asked suddenly serious again. His dark eyes still twinkled, but not with amusement.

"Phone! A cell phone! I don't expect you to know what it is, since it was invented around 1980 or something like that!"

"Seriously, I didn't notice the wound in yer head, but it must be there!" 

As Natasha threatened to slap him he stepped back with a "Whoa!"

"I'm telling you the truth, you old, perverted bastard!" She yelled. A bit harsh, maybe, but she was frustrated and couldn't quite believe this story herself.

"Calm down, for Christ's sake, woman!" Jack hissed. For some reason he didn't want the rest of the crew on board to hear them. 

"I can show you. I've got my phone in the handbag I brought. It'll prove I'm not just telling tales!" Natasha whispered angrily. Someone had come up onto the deck by her yelling.

"Is everythin' alrigh'?" A male voice asked, but Natasha couldn't see who he was in the dark.

"Everything's just fine, Gibbs." Jack replied looking at Natasha cautiously.

"Oi, it's ye Capt'n. Didn't see ye."

"Now ye know." Jack brushed him off, wanting him to leave again.

"Right. Me apologies, Capt'n."

Gibbs left hurriedly and Natasha started breathing normally again.

Jack was about to pass a remark about it, when he figured he shouldn't. The lass was upset enough as it was.

"Now, Tash, show me that…cell…phone?...of yours. That if, it's something decent." Jack said the last part very cautiously, afraid that she's think he was a pervert. Him? A pervert? No. Irresistible? Yes, but pervert? No."

"Alright, but it's in my handbag in Ana Maria's cabin. And I think she's still asleep."

"No she's not." Ana Maria's voice said coming up on the deck. "Some weird, beeping sound came from that purse of yers. Didn't dare stay near it."

"Oh my God, it's ringing!" Natasha said and rushed to the cabin. Could people really call her here?

"There's something about her, Jack." Anamaria said watching Natasha hurry away. "She's freaking me out!"

Jack sighed. "It's Captain Jack. CAPTAIN!"

"Whatever. But that lass is not normal, I tell ye. Seems like a witch or somethin'."

"I would be the last to say ye're too old to believe in that kind of stories, Anamaria, but that lass is no witch. She's from another world!" Jack said seriously.

"Me capt'n's gone crazy." Ana Maria stated looking at the waves.

"Ah, but at least he's still yer captain and ye've got to respect 'im!" Jack said in a less friendly tone than usually, before descending from the deck to go find Natasha and that…cell phone thingy.

~

"So it is true." Jack said watching all the stuff from Natasha's handbag. He held her cell phone in his hand, and she had shown him how to push the buttons and how to make it ring. No one had been calling her that night. They couldn't. Not here. But the alarm obviously worked as long as the battery wasn't dead. That was what had woken up Ana Maria. At home it would be seven in the morning now. Here it was still night.

Jack held the phone between two fingers and turned it around again and again. He pushed all the buttons leaping in his seat every time a beep sounded from it. He had never heard any sound alike it and he found it very interesting.

Though Natasha felt tired and gloomy she couldn't help smiling when watching Jack. He looked like a child with a new toy in spite of his age. 

But how old was he? Natasha couldn't really tell. He was definitely much older than her, but not as old as her parents. Definitely not. That would be disgusting!

But why would it be disgusting that a pirate had the same age as her parents? He was, after all, only a pirate.

"Can I have this?" Jack asked with pleading eyes after a while of playing with the cell phone.

"No." Natasha replied.

"Please?"

"No." Natasha gave a little laugh.

"Ye know, I rarely ask nicely about stuff. I just take 'em."

"So?" Natasha said with a shrug. "You asked me and I said no."

"S'pose I'll just have to take it, then." Jack replied shrugging his shoulders as well.

"You wouldn't dare!" Natasha threatened.

Jack grinned.

"Of course I would, but it would probably make ye weep, so I won't be doing it. For yer sake, luv."

A moment later, when Natasha had slapped him, he wasn't quite as cocky.

"Probably deserved that." He mumbled to himself and handed the phone back to Natasha.

"Bet you did!" Natasha replied coolly and stuffed her things back in the handbag. At least he believed her now. It was quite a relief.

"But how did it happen?" Jack asked obviously fascinated by the fact that travelling in time was possible.

"I don't know! I told you, I passed out in London and woke up here."

"But did ye…say or do anything unusual? Like…trying to…curse something?"

"I'm no goddamned witch!" Natasha yelled, still rather frustrated.

"No. No." Jack said rolling his eyes. "I know ye're not. Okay?" When would this woman stop being so hysterical? So she had travelled in time, big deal, but did she have to be so tense?

"I just… I looked at some ducks…and…"

"Ducks? Why would anyone look at ducks?" Jack asked frankly.

Natasha shot him an evil glare to make him shut up.

"Sorry, luv." Jack said pointing both his index fingers at her. "_You_ are telling the story here!"

"Thank you!" Natasha said still feeling mad at him. "When I turned around to go home, I passed out."

"That's it? No more action?" Jack asked rather disappointed.

"No. Oh, wait…" Natasha suddenly remembered the colours floating in the air. "The air was very colourful, so I touched it, and…"

"The air? Colourful?" Jack exclaimed in disbelief.

"Yes! The air! Colourful!" Natasha almost yelled. When would he stop interrupting her like that?

"Me apologies, luv." Jack mumbled and waited for her to continue.

"Then I passed out and woke up here."

"Oi, so the air and the colours…were a sort of…time gap?"

"I guess you could say so." Natsha had calmed down a bit.

"Well, could've been worse, luv. All ye have to do is go back and find the time gap." He said like it was no big deal, a smile playing on his face.

"But what if it can't be found?"

"No worries,luv. Ye're with me."

"And how's that going to help me?"

"I'm Captain Jack Sparrow!"

~

At dawn Jack commanded that they turned around to go back to Port Royal. The crew wasn't too fond of the order, especially as Jack refused to tell them why. 

He was in a very good mood that morning, and only Anamaria figured that it had something to do with Natasha.

It hadn't entirely, though. Jack was feeling good because it had been a long time since anything adventurous had happened, and he had a feeling it wouldn't take long now. He really didn't have to turn the ship to help the strange lass get back, but he was curious. If such thing as a time gap existed, he was definitely gonna find it and maybe take a quick look at 2004. The lass would probably object, but hey, he enjoyed arguing with her anyway. It would be a shame to send her home like that, when they weren't done fighting yet.

Natasha, of course, new nothing of this. Jack hadn't told her they would be going back, but when waking up the next morning (she had fallen asleep again soon after telling Jack her story), she saw that they were already heading back again. How sweet of the Captain. She hadn't thought he was the kind of guy who would do anything if there was no profit in it for him. Again, it seemed, he had proved her wrong.

She went up on the deck and was met by a refreshing wind. The sun was shining and no cloud was to be seen anywhere.

Jack was standing by the rudder, the wind making his braids and dreadlocks flutter slightly.

Natasha noticed the proud grin on his face, which didn't die as he yelled something to one of his men. He looked lean and strong as the sunrays played upon his face. Natasha had a feeling it was going to be a memorable day.

Jack noticed her like all of a sudden and let Anamaria take over the wheel to go join her.

"Goodmorning, luv." He said as he swayed closer. "Did ye sleep well?"

"Yes, thank you." Natasha replied and blushed by the fact that she had just been staring at him – admiring him. Had he noticed? "I see we're going back?"

"Aye. I thought it would be fun to see yer time gap. Haven't told the others, so keep quiet about it, okay?" Jack replied lowering his voice, "Wouldn't want 'em to get mad at ye for making 'em turn around, would we?"

He was still smiling excitedly about the thought of visiting 2004, but Natasha just thought he was going to help her get home.

"Thanks, it's really nice of you." She smiled.

"Well, I'm a nice man!" Jack replied with an even bigger grin, and with that he left. Not to go steer the Black Pearl, but to go fetch a bottle of rum.

As they anchored right outside the town (in a small bay that could not be seen from the fort, so the soldiers wouldn't bother them) Jack told Natasha to follow him as he head dived into the water. She didn't.

"Wha'? Why aren't ye coming?" He yelled from the water to the deathly pale girl.

"I can't." Natasha murmured and held on to the rail when looking down at him.

"What?" Jack shouted back. He wasn't sure if she had said anything. "Just jump!"

"I can't." She said, now loud enough for him to hear her. "I can't get down without help."

"Sure you can!" Jack yelled back. "Getting down is never a problem. Getting down _safely _might be a problem!"

Oh, thanks! Natasha thought even more frightened than before. What a comfort!

"Gibbs?" Jack yelled and Gibbs came to the rail. The two of them exchanged glances and before Natasha had a chance to defend herself, Gibbs had grabbed her and made her sit on the rail.

"NO!" She yelled as she found out what he was trying to do. "You can't do thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa…"

As the water swallowed her up she felt like panicking. Her eyes were wide open and everywhere around her there was a shade of bluish green. It felt as if she was sinking deeper and deeper into the water, though she was, in fact, floating upwards. Then something grabbed the back of the shirt she was wearing and within seconds Jack had brought her head above the surface.

"JACK, your mother****** son of a b****!" Natasha spluttered trying to slap his face. She failed, though, as the astounded Jack still held on to her shirt with his outstretched hand. He had never heard that expression before, and it was certainly not something _any _woman he knew would use, no matter profession! And Natasha was the last he would've believed to speak like that.

"Would ye stop fighting against me, _please_?" He said after recovering from the shock. "Ye'll never learn how to swim if ye don't relax!"

"Who said I want to learn how to swim?" Natasha said, still spluttering out the words.

"Fine!" Jack said almost bursting with impatience and let go of her shirt.

"What are you doing?" This time she cried it out instead of spluttering.

"Not learning ye to swim." Jack said indifferently, shrugging his shoulders in the water.

Natasha reached out for him, but he moved just enough for her not to be able to reach him.

"Help me!" She said reaching out for him again.

"Nah-ah." He said with a grin and moved further away.

"Help me, _please_!"

"That's not good enough." He said, still grinning.

"Help me, _please_, oh great Captain Sparrow!" Natasha mocked annoyed.

"Ah, now we're getting somewhere." Jack said tipping his head with a smirk. "But ye know, all the while ye've been complaining, ye've taught yerself to stay above the surface. I must say, though, that it was nice to hear ye beg for help!"

Natasha was too astonished to reply. She hadn't noticed until now, but she was swimming, or at least not going under. Several swimming instructors had spent years on trying to teach her how to swim, but all the time spent had been in vain. Two minutes in the water with Jack Sparrow and the job was done. How did he do that? He was amazing!

Once again she blushed by noticing her own staring at him. He gave her no time to recover, though, as he began swimming towards land. All she could do was try to follow.

Jack didn't show it, but he did slow down once in a while to make sure Natasha was still following. He could've just left her behind and go search for the time gap himself, but he wanted her to come. He wasn't sure why, but no matter what – she could prove useful later. After all, he did not know which challenges would meet him in the future. Her present.

They soon reached the shore and Jack walked quickly towards… Towards what? He suddenly realized he didn't know where she had come from before entering Port Royal, and he'd better wait for her. He stopped and turned around to see how far she'd come, and when he couldn't see her anywhere, he walked back towards the water resolutely. The girl had to come, taken by the soldiers or not. He'd just have to get her out of trouble again, if necessary.

"Tash?" He called cautiously. There was no need to throw oneself at the soldiers' feet by shouting out loud.

As he got no reply, he walked to the edge of the rocks he had just climbed and looked down. Ah, there she was, struggling at the feet of the rocks. The pretty, little thing couldn't climb them.

"Hold on, me bonny lass!" Jack yelled with a smirk after making sure no soldiers were near. "I'll come to yer rescue."

"Hell you won't!" Natasha yelled back. There was no way she would allow that again. She was a big girl. She could take care of herself.

"Alright." Jack said with a shrug. "Suit yerself!"

And with that he left her sight.

She struggled for a few more minutes, refusing to give up. She did, however, feel down by the fact that Jack had just left her behind like that. But who cared anyway?! She was right outside Port Royal now, and all she had to do was find the time gap. She didn't need him anymore.

"'Ello again, luv!" A familiar voice interrupted her thoughts. She looked to her right and saw Jack coming towards her, sauntering along the shore. "Need help?"

"How did you get here?" She said feeling stupid. Could she have just walked around the point?

"Climbed down a bit further away. Still don't want me help?"

"No." She replied in a mumble. She did need it. But she was too proud to let him know.

"Ye'll get it anyway." The pirate captain said and climbed up a little and then reached out his hand to her.

She took it with no further comments and let him help her up a little.

"I do love when ye need me help!" Jack teased, making Natasha remove her hand from his immediately.

"Thank you, I'll be quite capable of getting up from here on my own." She said with her nose in the air.

He reached out his hand to her again, and she took it reluctantly.

"Ah, that's better. Ye know ye need it!"

As Jack helped Natasha climb to the ledge that he was standing on, faith (or whatever it was) made the two of them stand very close together, as there was not much space for their feet.

Natasha felt her breath turn heavier as her body came so close to his that they almost touched. She still had her hand in his, and she had a slight feeling his breath had gone heavier as well. She let go of his hand and turned away. She knew he noticed, but to her big surprise and relief he didn't pass any remarks. Then she began climbing again.

Finally, she was feeling safe ground under her feet again. She was breathing heavily, and this time Jack couldn't hold his tongue.

"What a bad shape ye're in, breathing even heavier than when our bodies were clung together just now!" He smirked.

Natasha was very close to slapping him again, but he noticed just in time to step back.

"You're such a…!" Was all she hissed. She couldn't find the word to express how she felt about him, and began walking again. 

"Hey, don't be mad at me!" Jack said still smiling. He followed her quick pace walking backwards as to face her. "I didn't mind the proximity either!"

"Aw, shut up, will ya?!" She said and looked the other way, and he decided he'd better stop teasing her. It was so fun, though. She was so easy to throw off balance.

They walked for a while without Natasha recognizing anything. She was searching for the spot she had woken up in, but all the trees looked the same to her.

"Now what is that?" Jack said and stopped with his eyes fixed on something lying on the ground.

"My ice cream!" Natasha exclaimed when she saw the light brown cone and the white and pink substance next to it. Flies and bees were all around it, but it was still recognizable.

"Your what?" Jack said and bent down to touch the ice cream.

"My ice cream. I spilled it when I woke up. I bought it just before I passed out."

"What's an ice cream?" Jack said removing his fingers from the now sticky substance.

Natasha laughed as she saw him trying to shake the ice cream off his fingers.

"It's something you eat frozen. It's really good. Sweet and tasty." She smiled. Jack reminded her of a child the way he almost got frustrated for not being able to just throw the ice cream off his hand again. In the end he wiped it off in his pants and pretended not to care about it at all. Natasha could see, though, that he was very annoyed by the fact that he had kind of made a fool out of himself. It amused her even more.

"Well, guess we're close to the place where you woke up, then." Jack said staring at a spot behind Natasha. "Colourful air, you said?"

Natasha turned around and saw lots of different colours floating around in the air, just as they had done in the park at home.

"Yeah." She said a lump emerging in her throat. So this was it. In a minute she would have to say goodbye.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye, then." Jack said a little too happy for Natasha's liking.

"I guess it is." The latter replied looking down.

"Hey now, don't be so gloomy." Jack said, not knowing exactly how to comfort her. In a minute she'd know why.

"No. Thanks for helping me get back." Natasha said thinking about giving him a hug. He wasn't the kind of person whom you would normally hug, though.

"Ah, ye're welcome." Jack said avoiding looking her in the eyes. He sincerely hoped she wouldn't start crying. 

"Goodbye, Jack." Natasha said and took a step towards the colours in the air.

"Wait, Tash…" Jack said. "It's CAPTAIN Jack!"

As she took the final step into the colours, Jack exclaimed: "I can't possibly let a lass like you go home on yer own without any sort of protection."

And with that he reached out his sword to her, touching the colourful air at the same time.

~

Tell me it isn't true! Natasha thought when she woke up in the park in London realizing Jack had come with her to 2004. On one hand she was thrilled that he was there with her, but on the other hand she knew that he would be a mess, some way or another. And what if he couldn't get back? Would he be stuck with her forever, then? Poor guy!

"'Ello, Luv!" Natasha heard the familiar voice as Jack woke up next to her.

A couple of runners jogging through the park widened their eyes at the sight of Jack in his – to them – strange clothes.

"'Morning, mates!" he yelled at them and they quickly turned their faces away.

"Shut up!" Natasha hissed with a dark stare at Jack. "You can't behave like you're used to here, okay? This is my world, and if you just do as I say, you won't get into trouble!"

"But what's wrong with trouble?" Jack said innocently, tipping his head and making Natasha's knees wobble with just one look at her.

"Everything's wrong with trouble!" She managed to say before turning her face away in a blush. "And I don't want you to get anywhere near it!"

"Ah, worrying about ol' Jack, are ye?" Jack said with a grin.

Natasha ignored him. She had gotten up and reached out her hand to him. "I'll see if I can find something of my Dad's clothes that'll suit you, when we get home."

Jack took her hand and let her help him get up. Not that he needed help, of course.

As they got out from the park Jack stood still for a while, taking in all the new sights. The ground was covered in something that looked like stone – not cobble stones – but…rock, or something, and the houses were enormous and cold-looking. Some of them looked as if they touched the sky. They were amazing. Ugly – but amazing!

Jack was on his way to get hit by a car as he walked onto the road. Natasha just reached to take a firm grip of his shoulder and drag him back, when the car passed with a long hoot. He didn't get scared, though, as anyone would've expected. He just smiled and looked at it with interest. As another car passed he reached out his hand trying to touch it. Natasha saw this and immediately slapped his fingers.

"Ouch! What was that for?" Jack complained with a frown.

"You'd better watch out. If a car hits you it'll hurt a lot more than that!"

"A what?"

"A car. They are the carriages, or whatever you'd like to call them, that don't need horses to pull them."

"But how do they move?"

"They have engines."

"Engines?"

Natasha sighed. This was going to be tough. "I'll show you later, okay? I'll have to get you back to my place now."

"Sounds fine with me, luv." Jack said with a smirk and a dirty look at Natasha.

"Don't you dare start with me again!" She replied raising her index finger at him angrily.

He backed away, but she didn't try to slap him.

Somehow Natasha managed to get Jack home to her place without getting into trouble. She did have quite an explanation problem, though, as her parents had been worried sick for her for more than 24 hours, and now she had the courage to show up with a strange man. Strange in both senses of the word.

"I'll explain later." She told her mum when the latter was about to ground her. "I just need to find some of Dad's clothes for Jack."

"Hasn't he got some of his own?" Natasha's mother said angrily. "Or is that costume all you've got?" The last part of the question was addressed to Jack, who had not yet spoken.

"This _costume_ of mine," Jack began exaggerating his politeness, "is all I've got, and I have no intentions of changing just because a couple of…"

"JACK!" Natasha yelled before he could say anything to offend her mother. "Don't speak to my mother like that! And you _do _intend to change if you want my help."

"I never said I needed help." Jack mumbled as he followed Natasha to the bathroom. He wasn't quite sure what the room was for, but obviously it was a place where people changed clothes.

"So, are you gonna watch?" He said with a sly smile at Natasha, who gave him the clothes she had found in her father's closet.

"You wish!" She replied with a smile, surprised by the fact that the remark didn't offend her.

Natasha went to the kitchen where her mother was waiting for an explanation.

"He thinks he's a pirate." Was all Natasha said. She knew it'd be hopeless to try to explain the truth.

"A pirate? Then why did you bring him here? How did you meet him? He should be in a mental institution, if he's illusional."

"He's not…Well, he's… No, Mum, he shouldn't be in a place like that. I can help him get back to the people who know him. It'll be alright, then."

"Why not call the police? I don't like you consorting with him."

"Mum! He's not dangerous!"

They stopped talking as Jack came back from to bathroom. They both stared rudely at him, but for two very different reasons. 

Natasha stared at him, because he looked utterly cute with the legs of her father's suit in his boots and the white, pin-striped shirt hanging loose, unbuttoned to the middle of his chest. His sword was hanging by his side, and the beads were still dangling from his braids and dreadlocks. He hadn't changed that much, though the clothes weren't his own. 

Natasha's mother stared at him, because he had a sword down his side. She hadn't noticed when he first got into the house.

"That's it." She said. "I'm calling the police!"

"No, Mum!" Natasha said and took the sword from Jack. "This'll have to stay." She told him.

"I'm not going anywhere without me sword." Jack said taking it back. It almost made Natasha's mother panic. She didn't trust this strange man at all, and there was no way he or his sword was staying in this house. On the other hand she didn't want him to leave with the sword either. She had to call the police.

"Why don't you sit down and have some lemonade." She suggested backing towards the living room and the phone.

"Well, thank you." Jack said and sat down.

As soon as the mother was out of sight, Natasha grabbed Jack's hand and dragged him out of the house.

"What're you doing?" He complained. "I'm quite thirsty, ye know? Hadn't had any rum since last night."

"If we stay, they're gonna throw you into jail or a hospital, and they'll take your sword away. If you come with me, I'll help you get back. Just as you helped me."

"I'm not sure I wanna go back just yet." Jack said following Natasha down the street. "This is much more fun."

"But don't you miss your boat?" Natasha said still running with his hand in hers.

"Ship! The Black Pearl is a ship!" He said dreamily. Okay, so maybe he would miss just that one thing.

Natasha slowed down and let go of his hand. She hadn't realized until now that she had held onto it. Jack had, but he had managed not to pass any remarks about it.

For a while Natasha thought of what to do and where to take him. She didn't know if the colours in the air would be back yet – if they ever would – and so she couldn't bring him home just now. But he was probably getting hungry, just as she was, and she had to try to find something for them.

As they walked down a street with small cafés and restaurants, Jack's interest was caught by an Irish pub which seemed a bit like the taverns he was used to.

"Tash?" He said and stopped her with a tug at her sleeve. "Can we go in there?"

"No." She replied and wished he'd listen to her for once.

"Can we _please_ go in there?" Jack pleaded with his big, brown eyes gazing into hers. "Please?"

It was too much for her to take, and in the end she gave in. He was, after all, not used to this world, and maybe a pub would do him good.

"Alright, but don't do anything stupid!"

"Promise!" He said innocently and entered the pub.

Naturally, people stared at him. Though wearing a suit he didn't exactly look too normal to anyone in the pub, and within a few seconds everyone was silent.

"What're ye staring at?" Jack said nonchalantly and walked on to get some rum.

A big man, much bigger than Jack, got up from his chair and placed himself in front of him.

"We're staring at you, prick!" The man said crossing his arms. "And where do you think you're going?"

"To get some rum." Jack replied pretending not to notice that the man was blocking his way.

"Scared, are you?" The man said as he noticed Jack not looking him in the eyes.

"Scared? Me?" Jack said raising his gaze to his eyes. "I'm afraid of no one!"

Everybody laughed, until the big man reached out his fist to hit Jack. The latter was too quick for him, though, and avoided getting knocked down by stepping quickly to the right and drawing out his sword. At this everyone grew silent, and the big man backed away.

"Who's scared now?" Jack said, the smile gone from his face.

"Jack, stop it!" Natasha yelled trying to drag him with her.

No one dared to say another word to Jack, and so he finally agreed to come with Natasha.

"You bloody idiot!" Natasha yelled once they were outside again. He made her so angry, and she had been so scared in there.

"Ah, I see I affect your language, Luv." Jack replied with a grin.

"What happened to 'nothing stupid'?"

Jack sighed. Not again. She was so protective! But wait? Protective? Of him? That was new. He wasn't used to people being protective of him. It was, in a weird sort of way, sweet. He kept this newly discovered feeling to himself, though.

"Pirate." He said and gave no further excuse.

They ran down the street, Jack curious to see if they were being followed, Natasha anxious to get away.

At the subway station Jack's curiosity took over and stopped both him and Natasha. Those funny, long carriages with doors that opened and closed by themselves were too interesting to just step into without first being surveyed on the outside.

"Jack, what are you doing?" Natasha said as he let his hand feel its way down the side of the train. It looked as if he was touching something that was very dear to him. A woman or…his ship.

"Just finding out what this carriage is made of, luv." He said and missed Natasha's trying to get him on the train instead of standing outside.

"Come on!" She said and grabbed his hand, dragging him into the train just before the doors closed behind them.

"Wow. That was close." Jack said with a doubtful look at the doors.

"And whose fault is that?" Natasha said sharply, but she mitigated as she saw the truly puzzled expression on his face. Oh, so he could be caught off guard. That was interesting.

They reached their stop and Natasha dragged Jack with her once again. She did realize she was being a bit hard on him, but walking the streets of London with Jack in 2004 was like bringing a child along with you. She had to watch his every step; otherwise he was doomed to get into trouble, and that even though everything he did, he did with the most innocent intention. Just like a child exploring the world, Jack was exploring Natasha's world.

They passed a museum for old buildings, vehicles, planes, ships and other things like that. It gave Natasha an idea of how to get a break in all the watching out.

"Hey! Jack!" She said to the man walking a little ahead of her, too impatient to stay next to her.

Jack stopped and turned around. "It's CAPT..."

"No it's not." Natasha cut him off. "Not in this world."

"It's not?" Jack said in disbelief.

"There's something I wanna show you." She ignored his question and looked at him with a big smile on her face. She knew he was gonna love this.

They went into the museum, and soon Jack was in another world (yet another one). He soon found the small model ships, and he could look at one for ages before taking a look at the next one. So far Natasha's plan worked. There were only few people in the museum at this time of the year (and of the day), and Jack stayed so silent that no one would've noticed him if it wasn't for the beads in his hair. They glistened in the late afternoon sunlight, which came in through the small windows in the ceiling, every time he tipped his head. While Jack watched the ships closely, Natasha watched him. She still didn't know what it was about him that made him so likeable. She hadn't exactly been too fond of him the first time she had set eyes on him.

"It's the Pearl!" Jack suddenly said in a husky voice with a quick glance at Natasha to make sure she saw it too.

And indeed it was. Jack's ship – his pirate ship – was built in a miniature model that was now part of the attraction. Natasha could hardly believe her eyes, but there was no doubt it was the Black Pearl. Judging by the look on Jack's face he had no problems believing it at all. 

"So they remember her!" He said with his eyes fixed on the model ship. "That's very interesting." A broad smile was on his face, and for a moment he looked even happier than Natasha had seen him that night on the ship.

"I want to show the crew." He then said, reaching his hands out to remove the glass case covering the model ship.

"No!" Natasha said widening her eyes, but too late. His hands were on the glass and the alarm began to ring.

Oh no! Natasha thought and tried to drag him away, but he just made an even bigger effort to loosen the glass. Just as he was about to bang his fist against it, a guard came running and prevented him from doing so.

"What d'you think you're doing?!" The guard's angry voice sounded above the alarm.

"Takin' me ship home with me!" Jack said just as angry as the guard.

This statement took the guard so much aback that he let go of Jack just long enough for the latter to jump behind Natasha.

"It's not your ship!" Natasha hissed at Jack before she gave the guard and apologetic look.

Suddenly the guard started laughing by realizing that this man actually thought he was a pirate. He shouldn't have.

"Are ye laughing at me?" Jack said drawing out his sword. He was furious. "No one laughs at Captain Jack Sparrow!"

The guard turned serious again. This man wasn't harmless. Lunatic or not, he shouldn't walk around with a sword, and the young lady seemed to be in great danger keeping him company.

"Jack, come on!" Natasha tried. She had no doubts Jack could defend himself against one or two guards, but if the police showed up, he wouldn't stand a chance.

"Not yet, Luv." Jack said not taking his eyes off the guard.

"But he's just doing his job! You're not supposed to touch the miniature models."

"But it's mine! It's me ship!" He watched the guard cautiously, but he didn't start laughing again.

"It's NOT your ship, Jack. It's not a ship. If you come with me, I'll show you a real ship!" Natasha sighed. She'd do anything to get him out of here.

Jack hesitated. "A real ship? That sails? Not just these little ones inside the glass?"

"Yes! A real ship! Plenty of ships!"

"Well…" Jack said backing away from the guard reluctantly. "I suggest…" He grabbed Natasha's hand and sped up. "…we run!"

And so they did. Luckily for them, the guard was not the fastest man they had met and they soon got out of his reach. After turning around a couple of corners, they even stopped to catch their breaths. It didn't seem like they were being followed, and so Natasha started to laugh heartily.

"What are ye laughing at?" Jack said not amused.

"You." Natasha said with a big smile. "No one," She said deepening her voice to a mock, "laughs at Captain Jack Sparrow!" 

"Ah, come on!" Jack said rather annoyed. "No one does!"

"I do." Natasha said, still smiling. "And it was…" She looked him in the eyes and turned serious. "…kind of cute." She finished, removing a dreadlock that hung in Jack's face, cutting off the sight on his left eye.

Cute? She found him cute? He wasn't cute! He was a handsome, fearsome – maybe even sexy – pirate, and no one had ever dared to call him 'cute' before. 'Cute' was something the women would say about that young kid, Will Turner, but Captain Jack Sparrow? He wasn't cute! 

Nevertheless, he didn't get angry with Natasha for saying it. He just changed the subject.

"So, are ye gonna show me the ships ye promised?"

"Sure." Natasha said and started walking again. Jack didn't follow. He was still too astounded to move his feet.

"Are you coming?" Natasha turned her head to look at him. Oh good, she had brought him off balance!

~

In the port Jack looked curiously at all the ships anchored there. His eyes, though, quickly found the cruise liner anchored right outside the harbour, too big to get inside.

"Now _she_ is a beauty!" He stated pointing at the big ship. He took no notice of the fact that all the ships and boats were made of steel, fibre glass and other materials that the ships he knew weren't made of. "But where are the masts?"

"It has no masts." Natasha said trying to keep up with him. He was walking fast towards the furthest pier which was closest to the cruise liner.

"No masts? Then how does she set sail?"

"It doesn't."

"Then how does she sail?" Jack was confused. A ship with no sails?

"It's got engines. Like the cars."

"The cars?"

"The carriages." Natasha said, not knowing if she should smile or sigh. "Remember I told you?"

"Ah, yes. No horses, no sails. This is a weird world indeed!"

Jack stopped at the end of the pier and looked around, searching for something.

"What?" Natasha said unable to follow his thoughts.

"Rope. I need rope."

"What for?"

"You'll see, Tash." He said and drew his sword.

"What're you doing?" Natasha exclaimed realizing he was about to cut off the ropes of one of the smaller boats by the mole.

"Getting access to that beauty, Luv." He said and cut off the ropes that flew like rubber bands in the air. "Woops."

"You can't do that!" Natasha hissed in a whisper as a dock worker approached.

"I just did." Jack said indifferently and gathered the rope. "Are ye coming?"

Natasha didn't dare to let him out of sight, and so she had no other option but to follow. He was obviously determined to get on board the cruise liner.

A swim and a climb later, and they were aboard the huge ship. Though she didn't like it, Natasha was kind of proud that she had done both the swimming and the climbing without help. Okay, so Jack had helped her just a little when climbing up the rope, but she wouldn't think of that now. It made her feel warm. They had been so close.

"Now what is that?" Jack exclaimed in disbelief as he saw the big swimming pool on the upper deck. "A big tub?" 

Natasha couldn't help laughing in spite of their situation (Running off her parents' place probably followed by the police, threatening a bunch of drunk men in a pub, threatening a guard at a museum, and illegally forcing their way onto a ship with stolen ropes, which were taken from a boat that they had now damaged.).

"It's a swimming pool!"

"A swimming pool? Why?" Jack said and shook his head. "People here are strange. Why don't you just swim in the sea?"

"Because…" Natasha began not really knowing what to say. "…it's too cold. And there could be sharks. And you could get caught under the ship. And it's not clean."

"Not clean? The sea is clean!"

"Not anymore, Jack." Natasha said with a sad look at him. "Nothing's clean anymore."

He, of course, did not know what she was talking about and soon forgot about it, as he noticed the funny cabin in which there was a rudder. Immediately he ran to the rudder and pretended to be sailing the ship. He had that same, proud expression on his face, when Natasha reached him, as he had had when sailing the Black Pearl.

"It doesn't work." Natasha said and regretted immediately, afraid he'd be disappointed.

"I'm sure everything on this ship works perfectly." He said. "What do you mean 'it doesn't work'?"

"I mean, it's purely ornamental. They don't actually steer the ship with it. They just push some buttons."

"Is that so?" Jack said not believing her. "No offence, Luv, but I do think I know how to steer a ship!"

She sighed and forgot about it as she looked outside. The sun was setting, and the sky was painted in a million different colours. An idea formed in her mind, though she had never thought she'd do anything like it. She ran outside again and onto the front of the deck.

"Hey, we're ye going?" Jack called, but she didn't answer. He didn't want her to have all the fun to herself, so he followed. The sight that met him when he came outside was breathtaking. Even for Jack Sparrow.

Natasha was standing almost on top of the rail, facing the setting sun, her arms spread out. Did she think she was flying? 

Jack knew nothing of the Titanic or the motion picture with the same name, but something made him approach Natasha noiselessly, afraid of scaring her so she would fall down.

She did know he was coming though. She felt it. 

She knew it was crazy, but she had always wanted to pretend she was Kate Winslet. She had never dared, though. Jack made her do things she had never thought she'd be doing, and this was one of them.

She felt him crawling up onto the rail to stand behind her. At first he didn't get close, but after a while he screwed up his pride and stood close to her. Very close. So close that he could smell the vague scent of her perfume, and she could feel the warmth of his breath on her neck. They both breathed heavily, as Jack reached out his hands to hers. Natasha closed her eyes and felt him laying his head on her shoulder. It was so surreal. For a while she was sure she'd wake up from a dream, and Jack would be gone. 

"I'll do this every night on the Pearl, when I get home." Jack's low voice called her back to reality. They both still breathed heavily, and Natasha turned her head slowly around to face him.

He had a content smile on his face, but turned very serious as he saw the worried look on the young girl's face.

"What is it, luv?" He said, not joking.

"They've come to arrest us." She said with a grievous look at the police waiting patiently behind them.

~

"So this is jail in 2004?" Jack said enjoying the food and the bed with the white linen. As Jack had pretended to be disturbed and not able to live without Natasha, they had let the two of them stay in the same cell. It was probably when he started banging his head against the door, they realized they'd better go get Natasha. And it had proved the right thing to do, as the strange man, who thought he was a pirate, had calmed down immediately. What they didn't know was that Natasha and Jack were quite amused by the easiness of fooling them. It kept them up during the long hours of waiting.

Early in the morning, before the sun was up, someone came to open the cell door. Jack and Natasha were both asleep (on different beds), but they jumped up at the sound of someone entering. Jack reached out for his sword, but they had taken it away when arresting them.

The two police officers, who came to fetch them, took them to a big, white room, in which Natasha's parents were waiting. Her mother threw her arms around her, and her father looked suspiciously at Jack when he noticed he was wearing his suit and shirt.

"It's alright, Dad." Natasha said. "I lent it to him."

"That explains…this." Her father said and took out Jack's dirty shirt and pants from a plastic bag.

"And me hat? Did ye bring me hat?" The latter asked excitedly.

"I don't think you brought it with you." Natasha said not recalling him wearing a hat in 2004.

"Oh." Jack sounded disappointed.

"You're released." Her mother then said. "On bail." She hid her face in her hands and started crying. "Why? Why did you do it?" She cried.

Jack rolled his eyes. So this was where Natasha had the weeping-thing from!

"It's a long story." Natasha said. "Can we please go home before I start telling ye?"

Jack grinned amusedly by Natasha's pronunciation of the word 'you'.

"Certainly, when I get my suit!" Her father said.

"Can't that wait till we get home?" She asked annoyed.

"But he's not coming home with us." Her father pointed at Jack, who tilted his head and looked at him like he was some kind of dirt. He rolled his eyes again.

"Then I'm not coming, either!" Natasha said sternly. "I'm not going anywhere without him!"

Jack smirked and pointed his fingers at himself, obviously (and intendingly) annoying Natasha's father.

"Don't be ridiculous!" Her mother said. "The man is…not well… He should be in an institution!"

"Well, if he should, I should." Natasha said angrily, driven on by Jack's comforting hand on her back. He hadn't noticed, though, that he had placed his hand on her back. Her father had.

"Hands off my daughter, you disgusting pervert!" He shouted and got up from his chair to knock out Jack. Immediately a guard put a hand on his shoulder, holding him back.

Jack did withdraw his hand from Natasha's back, though. Not because her father had demanded it, of course (no one told Captain Jack Sparrow what to do), but because he was a bit embarrassed to have touched her like that. 

"Well, that's it!" Natasha said. "Why don't you just leave? Jack's no pervert, and he hasn't touched me, though he's had a hundred chances to do so!"

Jack watched her admiringly. She was certainly a lass who knew how to tell people off! And…wait! Had he had a hundred chances to touch her? He widened his eyes. That wasn't exactly what she had let him believe.

"Natasha!" Her mother cried and her father reached out to take a grip of her arm. Judging by the look on her face it hurt her, though no sound came from her.

Immediately, Jack jumped to his feet. "Don't _you_ dare touch her!" He said warningly pointing his finger at her father, before the guards made both men sit down again.

"This is going nowhere." The mother cried, and Natasha agreed with her.

"Why don't you just take us both home or leave us alone?" She added.

"George, please, can't we?" Her mother said, ready to agree to almost anything as long as her daughter would come home.

"You know we can't. They're taking him away no matter what."

"Who's taking him away?" Natasha asked frightened. They couldn't take him away. Not now.

"He'll be brought to a mental institution." Her mother said, and Natasha's lips curled into a smile. That wasn't so bad, after all. And no one said she couldn't go too.

"Well, I'll go with him, then." She said letting her parents know there would be no further discussion. She already knew he'd be able to escape from there, as long as she provided him with rope.

And so it was settled. Jack was taken to a mental institution, which he thought was quite fun, and Natasha came with him. 

They were in the local news the next day, and Jack was pleased to see himself on TV. He liked the thought of having one of those small boxes at home, in which he could see what happened around the world. It'd make him so much more difficult for Norrington to catch, if he'd always know which places to avoid. 

Natasha didn't explain to him that that was not how it worked, though maybe she should have.

Anyway, at night, when most of the people who worked in the institution had gone home, Natasha left and came back with rope. The man who watched the entrance was watching soccer on TV, and so he didn't notice her bringing in the rope (which she had, of course, also hidden under her shirt).

It was, to tell the truth, a piece of cake to get Jack out of the building. He probably hadn't even needed the rope, but Natasha liked the thought of helping him, and he didn't tell her he'd be able to manage without.

So, late at night a pirate and a young girl climbed down the walls of the mental institution and ran off. It wasn't discovered until next morning, and by that time they were far away from the hospital.

"Where're we going now?" Jack said when they finally stopped running. Natasha had to catch her breath.

"I thought we were going back to the park. To get you home."

"Oh. Of course." Jack replied rather disappointed. This was fun. He didn't wanna go home yet.

They did go to the park, though, and they did find the colours in the air, though they were hard to spot in the dark.

"Well…" Natasha said looking down as they were about to say goodbye.

"Don't speak, luv." Jack said and put a finger on her lips. "Maybe we'll meet again."

He reached out to touch the colourful air, but Natasha's yell stopped him.

"Jack, wait!"

"yes, luv?" Jack said smiling faintly.

"I just…thought I'd…do this…" She said and leaned over to give him a soft kiss on the lips. The pirate was too surprised to respond.

"Sorry. I shouldn't have done that." Natasha said and looked down ashamedly. Why did she have to be so stupid just now? He didn't want the same, for Christ's sake!

"Okay." Jack said still not able to say anything sensible.

Natasha knew that if she was ever going to say goodbye to him, now would be the opportune moment, and so she gave him a hard push towards the colours.

"Goodbye, Jack." She said and expected him to be gone forever.

"Ah, no you don't!" Jack exclaimed and grabbed her hand just before she disappeared, and so dragging her with him back to the 17th century.

~

Jack looked at Natasha's peaceful face as she lay there on the ground, not yet awake.

He reached out his hand as her eyes began to quiver, waking and dragging her up at the same time.

"Why did you do that?" She asked after waking up properly.

"Because…" Jack said and tugged her in, his lips closing on hers.

She responded immediately, and the kiss was almost like an explosion. Their tongues met and played with each other for a while, until both Natasha and Jack had to end the kiss for lack of air.

"Just perfect!" Jack said, but Natasha wasn't sure if he was referring to her kissing or to his own.

"Now, off ye go." He said and pushed her back into the colours with one, last squeeze of her hand.

~

"George! George, she's waking up!" A voice said from somewhere far away. Natasha opened her eyes slowly and saw her mother standing over her. She was lying in her bed in her room back home. A bouquet of flowers was standing on the small bedroom table close to the bed.

"Goodmorning, darling. How do you feel?" Her mother asked sweetly.

"Just…fine." Natasha replied a little taken aback by all this fuss. "How did I get here?"

"You fainted in the park. The doctor said it was the heat. A couple of runners came by just as you fainted, and they called an ambulance. They'll come over to check on you later."

Captain Jack Sparrow was still in Natasha's mind. So alive. It could not have been a dream.

"But what did the police say?" She asked anxious to know if they would come for her.

"The police? Nothing. It's not a crime to faint, darling!" Her mother chuckled.

"But… But what about the boat that we damaged? And the escape from the hospital?"

"Oh, poor baby. You're worse off than we had expected. Promise me you'll never go out in the heat again without something to drink, okay?!"

"Okay." Natasha agreed without listening. So it had all been a dream. A lovely dream. It had been fun. And it had seemed so real. Oh, well, but a dream it was, and there was no reason to be sad about that. At least she had the memories of Jack. Or…She had the memories of a dream of Jack. They would have to last. They were all she had.

Natasha stayed in her bed all day, and later in the afternoon the couple, who had seen her faint in the park and then called the ambulance, came over to say hi.

She was a bit surprised to see that they were the same people that Jack had yelled at in her dream.

She told them she was glad they had seen her and made sure she was taken care of, and the her mother brought them some cake and lemonade. Natasha didn't really know what to say to them, though, as she didn't know them and got lost in her thoughts all the time.

"Oh, by the way…" One of them said just when they were about to leave. "You were clutching this in your hand when we picked you up from the ground. I just forgot to give it to your parents."

Natasha took the small note he handed her and read the short message.

_"I'll be back for me hat, luv!"_ Was all it said, and it sent a shiver through Natasha.

At that time her father entered the room, wearing Jack's three-cornered hat.

"Hello, darling. Good to see you're doing better. You don't mind me throwing out this pirate hat I found when tidying up in the old closet, do you?" He said and took off the hat, intending to throw it into the garbage can.

"Yes, I do mind!" Natasha shrieked and surprised him and the visitors. "It's mine. I wanna keep it."

"Okay." Her father said astonished and handed her the hat, which she pressed against her chest, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.

"Maybe she's not well enough for visitors after all." She heard her father say far away.

She didn't care. The note was real and so was the hat. 

_Jack_ was real!


End file.
